post-baby body check-in (diet & work-out included!)

i've received a handful of emails recently requesting healthy "non-boring" eating and workout advice. mostly from new mommies (i'm with ya ladies!).

i honestly didn't start seeing "real" results until i got "real" about the two dreaded C's:

1)cutting CALORIES
2) CARDIO.

i thought i was making progress. in my mind, i guess i was satisfied because i was getting to the gym most days of the week and, well, my maternity clothes were "way" too big and some of my bigger jeans were starting to fit loosely. and then, i got a wake-up call. pictures don't lie. my dad snapped this lovely photo of my siblings and i at my sister's graduation in early May. i didn't see it until he "tagged" me on facebook. as i sat there clicking (and "untagging") through those photos i was angry with myself. i'd reached the epitomy of a plateau and had been content with being complacent. complacent with my eating, my workouts and my body. i'd made some progress, but got comfortable along the way and let the intensity die. once i got over my little breakdown/tantrum over my reality check (thanks, dad) i obtained a copy of this picture and stuck it on my fridge. some people stick old "skinny" photos up as motivation...not me.

THIS was my motivation. i wanted to see a change. and i KNEW it had to start with my eating....

it was at THIS point that i realized sweating my booty off in the gym wasn't going to get me where i wanted to be unless i got serious about watching my eating. i wasn't eating horrible, but i was definitely not being disciplined with sugars, carbs and most of all, PORTION SIZE (motherhood makes you hungry!).

so with picture posted for strength on fridge, here's what i did:

1. i cut out "white" starches (breads, potatoes, rice, crackers, chips...)
2. i LIMIT dairy. i gave up my beloved cheese, yogurt, of course ice cream and even switched completely over to almond milk, which i now PREFER.
3. i eat breakfast EVERY DAY. either oatmeal or a flax/whole grain organic cereal with fresh fruit.
4. for a mid-morning post-workout snack i either make a shake or drink a muscle milk LIGHT ready-made shake.
5. for lunch and dinner, i focus on VEGGIES, VEGGIES and more VEGGIES. salads, stir-fry, soups paired with healthy whole grains like brown rice, black beans, nuts/seeds.
6. for dessert or extra snacks throughout the day= FRUIT!
7. i eat when i'm hungry, i just control my portions and make sure it's as pure and fresh as possible (not processed with a bunch of fake ingredients!)
8. i have healthy snacks on hand at all times (for me AND Kai!). this way i'm not tempted to sneak through the drive-through to satisfy my hunger! (I LOVE the south beach diet mixed nut packs! i mix em' with raisins and it's a great filling snack!)
9. i learn from Kai. i feed my baby natural, healthy, whole foods. why do we ever stop eating that way? i told my mom i was going to call my diet the "high chair" diet because i would often eat my lunch with him right off of his high chair (like chunks of avocados and cooked squash, sweet potato and asparagus!).
10. i treat myself. this one is key. i usually save my "treats" for social events. i'll have a yummy drink (or two!) or a piece of birthday cake or a cookie. this is neccesary and enjoyable.

my best friend when it came to finding healthy veggie or protein-packed recipes was the internet! seriously, if you have an internet connection you have all you need to whip up a healthy meal or come up with a good grocery list. plan for the week and sit down on sunday night and find a few meals you want to try...i will even make a bunch of brown rice and a big fat salad for the week on sunday night, that way half the battle is done!

on the WORK-OUT side things definitely shifted. i was no longer able to get to the gym 4-5 days a week for cardio and classes because G was gone in Vancouver for work and well, my Mom doesn't live at my house. i VOWED to make Kai's lovely long morning naptime my sacred workout time. NO EXCEPTIONS. and here's the kicker. i bought this dvd. at Walmart. for $10:

i followed this video religiously. i didn't cheat. i dripped sweat. i wanted to cry. i wanted to punch her in the face. but in all honestly, i started seeing results within weeks. i know i've blogged about it before, but seriously it's no joke. it's hard, and i LOVE it. it was just the "wake-up" call my body needed.

and for added cardio, i would throw Kai in the jogger and Honey on her leash and we would walk/jog for 40-60 minutes almost every evening. this is an enjoyable way that i can burn extra calories, get Kai outside and Honey some exercise. it's fun and something that i greatly MISS when life get's too full and we don't get to go.

and then, there is yoga. POWER yoga. i obviously do this every Thursday at the gym because i'm the instructor...but i like to throw it in the mix a couple of times a week as well.

So, about 2 months later, after making a CONSCIOUS effort to eat RIGHT and shock the body with a new, consistent and CHALLENGING workout routine, here i am (sorry about the picture quality--it's just me and my blackberry!)....

may 4th 2011 - june 30, 2011



blurry, i know.
but look! i'm getting tank top shoulders back! (finally...)

dirty mirror & lost inches in waist & thighs.

 It's PROGRESS!

and progress sure don't come easy.

one of Jillian's key phrases that i've engraved in my mind when tempted to eat crap:

"remember, you can eat your way through any workout."

you can log hours upon hours in the gym, but if your eating sucks, so will your results!

{cheers} to hard work and healthy living!